[OVERVIEW]
Thanks to its solid mixed bulk, many resistances, and great abilities, Scrafty is a potent setup sweeper. Both Bulk Up and Dragon Dance sets are major setup threats because of Scrafty's access to STAB Knock Off, Close Combat, and Drain Punch for great overall power, utility, and sustainability. Staple Pokemon like Alolan Muk and Amoonguss can be setup fodder for Scrafty, letting it prey on common defensive cores. Bulk Up turns Scrafty into a bulky booster that can overwhelm defensive cores relying on Swampert and Bronzong. Dragon Dance sets can snowball out of control and use Scrafty's great bulk to secure multiple boosts. Scrafty is an especially good user of Terastallization, as it's bulky and enabled by flipping its few major weaknesses into resistances. Shed Skin is a fantastic ability to make status users like Vaporeon and Galarian Slowbro insecure checks to Scrafty, and Scrafty even has other good abilities like Intimidate and Moxie to facilitate its sweeping. However, Scrafty has major vulnerabilities to Fairy-types like Diancie and Scream Tail and Fighting-type revenge killers like Paldean Tauros-W and Paldean Tauros-F, so it's often pressured to exhaust Terastallization. Dragon Dance sets can struggle if they don't have the opportunity to acquire multiple boosts, and Bulk Up sets can be overwhelmed by strong special attackers like Toxtricity and Sylveon. Scrafty's low Speed trips it up by making it vulnerable to Encore and Taunt, and its average Attack makes it even more prone to Trick and phazing.
[SET]
name: Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Drain Punch
move 3: Knock Off / Throat Chop
move 4: Rest
item: Leftovers
ability: Shed Skin
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 164 SpD / 92 Spe
tera type: Poison / Steel
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Drain Punch's healing makes Scrafty less reliant on Rest. Knock Off is especially useful to soften up Gligar and punish Scrafty's checks, including Scyther, Diancie, and Altaria. Throat Chop stops Sylveon from using Hyper Voice and prevents Bronzong from using Psychic Noise if Scrafty has Terastallized into a Poison-type. Rest is less passive on Scrafty than other Pokemon thanks to Shed Skin's potential to wake up Scrafty early, and it's helpful both as a recovery move and immediate method to heal status. The EV spread allows Scrafty to outpace foes like Vaporeon and Sylveon. Shed Skin has good synergy with Rest and keeps Scrafty healthier against status spreaders like Alolan Muk, Gligar, and Vaporeon. Both Tera Poison and Tera Steel flip Scrafty's problematic 4x Fairy weakness into a resistance, which improves its matchups against Diancie, Sylveon, and Scream Tail. Tera Poison helps Scrafty against Fighting-types like Toxicroak and opposing Scrafty, while Tera Steel is more useful against Alolan Ninetales and Kilowattrel.
Scrafty is unlikely to sweep unless Fairy-types like Scream Tail, Florges, and Sylveon have been weakened. Bronzong, Klefki, and Orthworm check Fairy-types for Scrafty, and they can set entry hazards to wear down Diancie and Amoonguss. Ground-types like Flygon, Gastrodon, and Swampert can handle Poison-types like Toxtricity and Toxicroak for Scrafty. Spikes setters like Klekfi, Gligar, and Orthworm are especially good at making sure foes like Amoonguss are softened up for Scrafty, and Scrafty's Knock Off synergizes with them by removing Heavy-Duty Boots. Specially defensive Pokemon like Diancie, Bronzong, and Porygon2 are great answers to problematic special attackers like Alolan Ninetales, Kilowattrel, and Chandelure that can pressure Scrafty with their super effective and powerful STAB moves, and the former two walls can set up hazards for Scrafty as well. Physical walls like Galarian Slowbro, Vaporeon, and Gligar support Scrafty by handling physical attackers like Paldean Tauros-F, Incineroar, and Flamigo.
[SET]
name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Close Combat / Drain Punch
move 3: Knock Off / Throat Chop
move 4: Encore / Poison Jab / Iron Head
item: Leftovers / Lum Berry
ability: Shed Skin / Intimidate / Moxie
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
tera type: Poison / Steel
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Drain Punch helps keep Scrafty healthy enough to stay out of range of priority users like Basculegion-M and Choice Scarf revenge killers like Flygon. Knock Off can be helpful to soften up checks to Scrafty such as Scream Tail, Gligar, and Sylveon so that Scrafty can more easily sweep past them late-game. Throat Chop lacks Knock Off's general utility and initial additional power, but its effect of disabling sound-based moves helps against foes like Sylveon and Toxtricity. Scrafty can run Encore to navigate around problematic foes like Milotic and Vaporeon, and it can turn passive walls like Avalugg and Amoonguss into setup fodder. Poison Jab is preferred as a coverage move for its synergy with Tera Poison, but Iron Head nails Alolan Ninetales and Diancie. Similarly to Drain Punch, Leftovers helps keep Scrafty out of range of revenge killers like Basculegion-M. However, a Lum Berry is very helpful for non-Shed Skin sets to help against status spreaders like Gligar, Incineroar, and Klefki if Scrafty Terastallizes. Shed Skin makes Scrafty less prone to status spreaders like Incineroar, Gligar, and Alolan Muk, which can also open Scrafty up to use these Pokemon as setup fodder. Intimidate creates windows for Scrafty to set up more easily against physical attackers like Flygon and Swampert. Moxie helps Scrafty to snowball with boosts and punish opponents who eagerly sack Pokemon against it. Tera Poison helps Scrafty match up better against Fairy-types, Fighting-type revenge killers like Paldean Tauros-W, and Body Press users such as Bronzong. Tera Steel shares Tera Poison's offensive and defensive qualities against Fairy-types while giving Scrafty a better defensive typing against Flying-types like Kilowattrel and Psychic-types like Uxie.
Scrafty is a good fit for offense and balance teams as a wincon that isn't lacking a defensive backbone. Sets with Shed Skin are especially valuable as status absorbers. Scrafty can take advantage of Alolan Muk, which is appreciated by Psychic-types like Scream Tail, Oricorio-P, and Bronzong. Psychic-type pivots like Munkidori and Uxie are excellent at drawing in Alolan Muk for Scrafty and giving it free entry with their pivot moves. Setup sweepers like Flygon, Scyther, and Diancie can all overwhelm Fairy- and Poison-type walls for Scrafty. In return, Scrafty can beat Steel-types like Bronzong for the three aforementioned Pokemon. Fast Encore users like Scream Tail and Cinccino can lock passive Pokemon like Bronzong and Amoonguss into moves that let Scrafty use them as setup fodder. Alolan Ninetales supports Scrafty with Aurora Veil and Encore to widen its opportunities for setting up. Steel- and Poison-type teammates like Klefki and Toxtricity can handle Fairy-types like Scream Tail and Sylveon.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====
Ice Punch hits Flying- and Dragon-types like Altaria, Gligar, and Flygon very hard, but Scrafty struggles to fit it for this one matchup over its coverage moves for Fairy-types. Tera Ghost is an option for a useful immunity against Fighting-types like Paldean Tauros-W and Body Press users like Bronzong, potentially turning them into setup fodder or giving Scrafty a critical turn where it doesn't have to take any damage when it's weakened.
Checks and Counters
====
**Fairy-types**: Diancie can OHKO Scrafty with Moonblast and is capable of beating it with Body Press and boosts from Diamond Storm. However, Diancie can be overwhelmed due to its dependence on Leftovers for recovery and lack of Fighting resistance. Klefki can force Bulk Up sets to either Terastallize or fall to Dazzling Gleam, but Dragon Dance Scrafty can threaten to OHKO Klefki with +1 Close Combat after Spikes damage. Calm Mind and lead Scream Tail variants can both beat Scrafty, but utility sets are setup fodder for Dragon Dance Scrafty. Fairy-types like Sylveon and Florges and Tera Fairy users like Uxie and Milotic should stay wary of Scrafty's coverage moves.
**Fighting-types**: Flamigo, Toxicroak, and Heracross all deal major damage to Scrafty with their STAB moves and resist both of Scrafty's STAB types. Paldean Tauros-F and Paldean Tauros-W can run Choice Scarf to outspeed Dragon Dance Scrafty variants, and they both soften it up with Intimidate. Breloom and Infernape can both pick off weakened Scrafty with Mach Punch.
**Flying-types**: Scyther, Galarian Articuno, and Kilowattrel both outspeed and threaten Scrafty with their super effective STAB attacks, and the last one even outspeeds Jolly Scrafty at +1. Neither of these Pokemon, or most Flying-types in general, enjoy switching into Knock Off. Gligar can beat Dragon Dance sets in a vacuum, but it can lose to Bulk Up sets. Trapper Altaria sets can remove Scrafty with Perish Song.
**Poison-types**: Toxicroak and Amoonguss both resist Scrafty's Fighting-type moves; Toxicroak can hit Scrafty back hard with Fighting-type moves, and Amoonguss is bulky enough to chip down Scrafty with Sludge Bomb and Giga Drain. However, Amoonguss can lose to Shed Skin Bulk Up Scrafty sets.
**Item Removal and Disruption**: Chandelure, Munkidori, and Meloetta can cripple Scrafty with a Choice item if they're not able to KO it, leaving it exploitable. Fast Encore users like Scream Tail, Cinccino, and Uxie can force Scrafty to repeatedly set up or use Rest, which enables them and their teammates to begin exploiting it.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/missangelic.452572/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/pika134.609709/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/lucario.189361/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
Thanks to its solid mixed bulk, many resistances, and great abilities, Scrafty is a potent setup sweeper. Both Bulk Up and Dragon Dance sets are major setup threats because of Scrafty's access to STAB Knock Off, Close Combat, and Drain Punch for great overall power, utility, and sustainability. Staple Pokemon like Alolan Muk and Amoonguss can be setup fodder for Scrafty, letting it prey on common defensive cores. Bulk Up turns Scrafty into a bulky booster that can overwhelm defensive cores relying on Swampert and Bronzong. Dragon Dance sets can snowball out of control and use Scrafty's great bulk to secure multiple boosts. Scrafty is an especially good user of Terastallization, as it's bulky and enabled by flipping its few major weaknesses into resistances. Shed Skin is a fantastic ability to make status users like Vaporeon and Galarian Slowbro insecure checks to Scrafty, and Scrafty even has other good abilities like Intimidate and Moxie to facilitate its sweeping. However, Scrafty has major vulnerabilities to Fairy-types like Diancie and Scream Tail and Fighting-type revenge killers like Paldean Tauros-W and Paldean Tauros-F, so it's often pressured to exhaust Terastallization. Dragon Dance sets can struggle if they don't have the opportunity to acquire multiple boosts, and Bulk Up sets can be overwhelmed by strong special attackers like Toxtricity and Sylveon. Scrafty's low Speed trips it up by making it vulnerable to Encore and Taunt, and its average Attack makes it even more prone to Trick and phazing.
[SET]
name: Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Drain Punch
move 3: Knock Off / Throat Chop
move 4: Rest
item: Leftovers
ability: Shed Skin
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 164 SpD / 92 Spe
tera type: Poison / Steel
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Drain Punch's healing makes Scrafty less reliant on Rest. Knock Off is especially useful to soften up Gligar and punish Scrafty's checks, including Scyther, Diancie, and Altaria. Throat Chop stops Sylveon from using Hyper Voice and prevents Bronzong from using Psychic Noise if Scrafty has Terastallized into a Poison-type. Rest is less passive on Scrafty than other Pokemon thanks to Shed Skin's potential to wake up Scrafty early, and it's helpful both as a recovery move and immediate method to heal status. The EV spread allows Scrafty to outpace foes like Vaporeon and Sylveon. Shed Skin has good synergy with Rest and keeps Scrafty healthier against status spreaders like Alolan Muk, Gligar, and Vaporeon. Both Tera Poison and Tera Steel flip Scrafty's problematic 4x Fairy weakness into a resistance, which improves its matchups against Diancie, Sylveon, and Scream Tail. Tera Poison helps Scrafty against Fighting-types like Toxicroak and opposing Scrafty, while Tera Steel is more useful against Alolan Ninetales and Kilowattrel.
Scrafty is unlikely to sweep unless Fairy-types like Scream Tail, Florges, and Sylveon have been weakened. Bronzong, Klefki, and Orthworm check Fairy-types for Scrafty, and they can set entry hazards to wear down Diancie and Amoonguss. Ground-types like Flygon, Gastrodon, and Swampert can handle Poison-types like Toxtricity and Toxicroak for Scrafty. Spikes setters like Klekfi, Gligar, and Orthworm are especially good at making sure foes like Amoonguss are softened up for Scrafty, and Scrafty's Knock Off synergizes with them by removing Heavy-Duty Boots. Specially defensive Pokemon like Diancie, Bronzong, and Porygon2 are great answers to problematic special attackers like Alolan Ninetales, Kilowattrel, and Chandelure that can pressure Scrafty with their super effective and powerful STAB moves, and the former two walls can set up hazards for Scrafty as well. Physical walls like Galarian Slowbro, Vaporeon, and Gligar support Scrafty by handling physical attackers like Paldean Tauros-F, Incineroar, and Flamigo.
[SET]
name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Close Combat / Drain Punch
move 3: Knock Off / Throat Chop
move 4: Encore / Poison Jab / Iron Head
item: Leftovers / Lum Berry
ability: Shed Skin / Intimidate / Moxie
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
tera type: Poison / Steel
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Drain Punch helps keep Scrafty healthy enough to stay out of range of priority users like Basculegion-M and Choice Scarf revenge killers like Flygon. Knock Off can be helpful to soften up checks to Scrafty such as Scream Tail, Gligar, and Sylveon so that Scrafty can more easily sweep past them late-game. Throat Chop lacks Knock Off's general utility and initial additional power, but its effect of disabling sound-based moves helps against foes like Sylveon and Toxtricity. Scrafty can run Encore to navigate around problematic foes like Milotic and Vaporeon, and it can turn passive walls like Avalugg and Amoonguss into setup fodder. Poison Jab is preferred as a coverage move for its synergy with Tera Poison, but Iron Head nails Alolan Ninetales and Diancie. Similarly to Drain Punch, Leftovers helps keep Scrafty out of range of revenge killers like Basculegion-M. However, a Lum Berry is very helpful for non-Shed Skin sets to help against status spreaders like Gligar, Incineroar, and Klefki if Scrafty Terastallizes. Shed Skin makes Scrafty less prone to status spreaders like Incineroar, Gligar, and Alolan Muk, which can also open Scrafty up to use these Pokemon as setup fodder. Intimidate creates windows for Scrafty to set up more easily against physical attackers like Flygon and Swampert. Moxie helps Scrafty to snowball with boosts and punish opponents who eagerly sack Pokemon against it. Tera Poison helps Scrafty match up better against Fairy-types, Fighting-type revenge killers like Paldean Tauros-W, and Body Press users such as Bronzong. Tera Steel shares Tera Poison's offensive and defensive qualities against Fairy-types while giving Scrafty a better defensive typing against Flying-types like Kilowattrel and Psychic-types like Uxie.
Scrafty is a good fit for offense and balance teams as a wincon that isn't lacking a defensive backbone. Sets with Shed Skin are especially valuable as status absorbers. Scrafty can take advantage of Alolan Muk, which is appreciated by Psychic-types like Scream Tail, Oricorio-P, and Bronzong. Psychic-type pivots like Munkidori and Uxie are excellent at drawing in Alolan Muk for Scrafty and giving it free entry with their pivot moves. Setup sweepers like Flygon, Scyther, and Diancie can all overwhelm Fairy- and Poison-type walls for Scrafty. In return, Scrafty can beat Steel-types like Bronzong for the three aforementioned Pokemon. Fast Encore users like Scream Tail and Cinccino can lock passive Pokemon like Bronzong and Amoonguss into moves that let Scrafty use them as setup fodder. Alolan Ninetales supports Scrafty with Aurora Veil and Encore to widen its opportunities for setting up. Steel- and Poison-type teammates like Klefki and Toxtricity can handle Fairy-types like Scream Tail and Sylveon.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====
Ice Punch hits Flying- and Dragon-types like Altaria, Gligar, and Flygon very hard, but Scrafty struggles to fit it for this one matchup over its coverage moves for Fairy-types. Tera Ghost is an option for a useful immunity against Fighting-types like Paldean Tauros-W and Body Press users like Bronzong, potentially turning them into setup fodder or giving Scrafty a critical turn where it doesn't have to take any damage when it's weakened.
Checks and Counters
====
**Fairy-types**: Diancie can OHKO Scrafty with Moonblast and is capable of beating it with Body Press and boosts from Diamond Storm. However, Diancie can be overwhelmed due to its dependence on Leftovers for recovery and lack of Fighting resistance. Klefki can force Bulk Up sets to either Terastallize or fall to Dazzling Gleam, but Dragon Dance Scrafty can threaten to OHKO Klefki with +1 Close Combat after Spikes damage. Calm Mind and lead Scream Tail variants can both beat Scrafty, but utility sets are setup fodder for Dragon Dance Scrafty. Fairy-types like Sylveon and Florges and Tera Fairy users like Uxie and Milotic should stay wary of Scrafty's coverage moves.
**Fighting-types**: Flamigo, Toxicroak, and Heracross all deal major damage to Scrafty with their STAB moves and resist both of Scrafty's STAB types. Paldean Tauros-F and Paldean Tauros-W can run Choice Scarf to outspeed Dragon Dance Scrafty variants, and they both soften it up with Intimidate. Breloom and Infernape can both pick off weakened Scrafty with Mach Punch.
**Flying-types**: Scyther, Galarian Articuno, and Kilowattrel both outspeed and threaten Scrafty with their super effective STAB attacks, and the last one even outspeeds Jolly Scrafty at +1. Neither of these Pokemon, or most Flying-types in general, enjoy switching into Knock Off. Gligar can beat Dragon Dance sets in a vacuum, but it can lose to Bulk Up sets. Trapper Altaria sets can remove Scrafty with Perish Song.
**Poison-types**: Toxicroak and Amoonguss both resist Scrafty's Fighting-type moves; Toxicroak can hit Scrafty back hard with Fighting-type moves, and Amoonguss is bulky enough to chip down Scrafty with Sludge Bomb and Giga Drain. However, Amoonguss can lose to Shed Skin Bulk Up Scrafty sets.
**Item Removal and Disruption**: Chandelure, Munkidori, and Meloetta can cripple Scrafty with a Choice item if they're not able to KO it, leaving it exploitable. Fast Encore users like Scream Tail, Cinccino, and Uxie can force Scrafty to repeatedly set up or use Rest, which enables them and their teammates to begin exploiting it.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/missangelic.452572/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/pika134.609709/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/lucario.189361/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
Last edited:
